This collection proves why Garfield has been making people of all ages laugh for thirty years. Not only does it show his funniest moments, it also reveals a side of his creator and some of his characters never before seen. According to Blondie cartoonist Dean Young, Jim Davis’s newest Garfield book contains “thirty years of Jim’s wonderful Garfield magic.”

Garfield - 30 Years of Laughs & Lasagna celebrates Garfield, but it also reveals much about Jim Davis. The four hundred-plus strips are organized by decade. Each decade begins with an introduction by Jim Davis and is supplemented with his comments, quotes and early sketches (some of which can be seen on the end pages of this book). Jim Davis’s very first Garfield strip appears in the 1978-1988 decade chapter, as does an original 1978 pencil drawing of Garfield and a small paragraph explaining what happened when one newspaper cancelled the Garfield comic. In the second decade chapter, you’ll learn why Garfield is drawn with Beetle Bailey, and read about the animal Jim Davis finds difficult to draw. In the third decade, readers see Garfield and Jon using the computer and Garfield enjoying a cup of cream of lasagna soup, and find out about Jim Davis’s cats, Spunky and Nermal.

Garfield - 30 Years of Laughs & Lasagna can be enjoyed by those who've never read Garfield before and by longtime fans. Each of the 287 pages in this book contains one or two strips (some in color, but all with dates) or a Jim Davis quote or comment. The strips are about Garfield, but all the other familiar supporting characters such as Odie, Arlene, Nermal, Irma and Liz make appearances, too. They show trips to the farm, birthdays and Christmases. They deal with Garfield’s Mondays and diets, his playtime with the spiders and mice, and his experiences with strong coffee and hard nights on the fence. The strips show Garfield having lots of fun at Jon and Odie’s expense, and his never-ending laziness. In addition, in every section of this book, Jim Davis comments on many Garfield characters, including Dad, Mom and Doc Boy, and explains something about his own life with Garfield. At the end of the book, he includes thirty of his all-time favorite Garfield strips, and an explanation beneath each as to why it was chosen. These thirty favorites include the strip inspired by his dad’s gag and the strip that shares one of Jim Davis’s philosophies of life.

Luckily, Jim Davis never gave up submitting Garfield to newspapers, and the world is grateful. We like his sense of humor and his wit, and we laugh when we see a little bit of ourselves come out in a cat. A lot changes in thirty years, but not for Garfield fans. He continues to entertain us and make us chuckle. I can’t think of anything that would make this book better except more pages and maybe a recipe for Garfield’s favorite lasagna!